Automatic shuttle box lock



April 2, 1935. A. M. SIKES 1,996,527

AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE BOX LOCK Filed Oct. 19, 1935 Hnnzntur scription, however it is to be understood thatv Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE BOX LOCK Alfred Marshall Sikes, Atlanta, Ga. I Application October'19, 1933, Serial No. 694,331

6 I 2 Claims. '(Cl.139186)' This invention aims to provide, in a loom, comprising a shuttle box and a picker stick, means other than the shuttle binder, and actuated by the picker stick, for holding a shuttle in the shuttle box forfree but limited longitudinal movement towards and away from the picker stick, another object of the invention being to improve generally, and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for adjusting themeans for limiting longitudinal movement of'the shuttle towards and away from the picker stick, insuring the maximum of efliciency in operation. a

The preferred form has been depicted, and will be made the subject matter of the following dechanges in the construction of the device may be made, to adapt the device for use on various models of looms, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing: 1 Figure 1 is a plan View of a shuttle and-shuttle box equipped with a device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1. V

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken of Figure 1. 7

Referring to the drawing in detail, on the lay beam l is mounted the base 2 of a shuttle box, a leather-shod binder 3 being pivoted at 4 to the base of the shuttle box and to a bracket 5, the binder being forced inwardly by a finger 6 fixed on the journaled protecting rod 1 which is actuated by a torsion spring 8 to cause the finger 6 to bear on the binder. The shuttle lock hereinafter described is not to be confused with the binder 3. Binders other than the one shown at 3 are disclosed in Holts Patent No. 1,316,551 of 1919, in Mallorys Patent No. 163,671 of 1875, and in Macombers Patent No. 132,164 of 1872. My shuttle lock, hereinafter described, should not be confused with what is shown in the patents specified, since the present invention discloses a shuttle on line 44 ,lock to eliminate the pressure and friction 'on shuttle supplemental to, and clearlydistinguishable from, a shuttle binder. g

The picker stick 9 carries-the usual leather pad known as pickers l9, and operates in the shuttle box through a slot H] in the lay beam 1 base 2 of the shuttle box. The shuttle box has a removable wall;- and mechanism is provided for mounting said wall for transverse adjustment, toward and away from the binder 3 at the will of an operator. 1 With this and in the end in view, thewall H isprovided with slotted lugs l2, held by stud jbolts l4on the base 2"of the shuttle box.v

The device comprises means actuated by the picker stick 9 for holding the shutt1eu; 23-1in;the shuttle box for free but limited longitudinal movement towards and-away-from the picker stickfi.

This means preferably embodies a lever l1, carried by thefulcrum bolt 16, the end of the lever 11 adjacent to the bolt; being extended downwardly where the-lever I! has pivotalconnection with the arm l8, at l9'.'

The .arm I8 is provided with a leather facing that is adapted to engage the'picker stick 9, re tarding movement of the picker stick. I

A set screw-indicated by the reference character l9" iscarried by the arm l8, and'engages the lever IT, in such a way that'movement of the set screw, will cause an adjustment of the arm l8 towards or away from the picker stick The lever IT has a' leather shodend-IB extending into the shuttle boxand into the barof the shuttle 23, through an opening 2| in the wall II. The distance between the picker stick 9 and outer end of the lever 11, and which distance is adjusted by the set screw, is such thatwhen parts are arranged as shown in Figure 1, the shuttle 23 may .have free but limited longitudinal movement towards and away from the picker stick 9,. when the end of the lever is disposed inthe path of travel of the shuttle. I 1

A spring 22 is secured to the lever ,lfl. and'bears against the wall I i of the shuttle box. This spring constitutes yieldable means for tilting the lever H, to swing the first-specified end l6 of the lever outwardly, and to swing the opposite end of the lever, and arm I8, supported thereby, inwardly.

The device, among other features, is characterized by the fact that the shuttle 23 can have free but limited longitudinal movement, toward and away from the picker stick 9, when the first- PATVETJ Price 1;

specified end of the lever, shown at It, is disposed in the path of the shuttle 23, as in Figure 1. The

longitudinal movement of the shuttle 23, toward and away from the picker stick 9, will now be explained.

When the battery (not shown) of the loom deposits the quill in the shuttle, the quill has to engage with certain well-known parts 24 on the shuttle. This engagement takes place properly, so long as the pad l9 on the picker stick 9 is in good condition, the shuttle then being stopped by engagement with the pad, in such position that the quill may coact'with the parts*2' l. In practice, however, the pad l9 does not remain long intact, the shuttle 23 moves too far to the right,=in Figure l, and the shuttle has to'be moved to the left, before the quill engages with the parts 24. This leftward movement of the shuttleis broug'ht about, when the quill moves \into ,the.shuttle,,by the engagement between one end of the quill, and a longitudinal incline 25 on the shuttle.

In practice, there is a very good reason for eliminating 'the pressure of the binder on the shuttle, by so doing reduces the cost of power-required to drive or force shuttle frombetweenthe pressure of the binder, across and into-a likewise pressure of binderat opposite end, this elimination-of the pressure of binderon the shuttleby replacement with shuttle box lock, not only reldu'ces the cost of power for operating the loom, but also increases the speed of the loom, thereby increas'ing production, andalso increases the life of-the 'shuttle by eliminating the pressure and friction =on thin'sides of shuttle'by pressure 'off binder against sides of shuttle, anotherfeature of my shuttle box lock, increases the life "of the loombyeliminationto agreat extent, the vibration 1 caused by the forcing of the shuttle into and 'between the pressure of the binder, which also eliminates a'large percentage of "the noise.

Suppose that the picker stick '9 has been 'swung-to' the left in Figures 1 and 2, the lever "I having been tilted by the spring 22, *so that the-'tree end of the arm [8 is be'hind and in the path of the picker stick. As the shuttle 23 amoves to the right, "the shuttle engages 'the pad 1 9, on the picker stick 9, and the pickerstick moves to the -right,'-the pickerstick engaging the *arm I8, tilting thearmand lever until the parts arrive in the position of Figure 1, with the arm -"l"8 against the side of the picker stick, and with 'the 'lever H in thepathof the shuttle 23, but

not binding upon it. 1

whemthe shuttle 23 can have free but limited longitudinal-movement, toward and away from the-picker stick=9, as and-for the purpose specified. When the picker stick 9 moves tothe left in Figures 1 and 2, arm 48 is set free, and the "lever I"! moves out of the path of the shuttle '123, responsive to the spring 22.

The device can be mounted quickly on standard looms, by simply substituting the wall ll for the wall already in use. Difficulties arising out of a failure of the quill to register properly in the shuttlebox '23 are-avoided. The pressure of the binder 3 may be reduced, or eliminated, and the loom can be run faster than would be possible if the locking lever I! were not provided.

I claim: 1

1. In a loom having a picker stick, a shuttle box, and a binder at one side of the box, cooperating members comprising a side wall for the box, disposed opposite to the binder, and a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said side wall, ashuttle engaged-'between"the binder and said walls, one end "of the lever extending into the shuttle box, the opposite end of the lever being engageable directly by the picker stick tmdisposethe-first-specified end of the lever in the path of the shuttle, the distance between the 1 picker stickeind the first-specified end of the le- -ver Joeinglsuchthat the shuttle can have limited longitudinal movement toward and away from the:pioker;stick when the first specified end of the lever is disposed in the path of the shuttle, spring means carried by one of sai'd cooperating "members and engaging-the other of them to 1 dispose the first-specifiedend ofthe lever in the path ofthe shuttle, I and to dispose the opposite end of "the lever against the side of the picker stick, and means -f or mounting said side =wall 'removably on 'the box, whereby an operatoremay remove the conventional side-wall and substitute for it the-side wall herein claimed, that side "wall carrying the lever and the spring means and forming aeomplete :pressurereducingunit, in that the limitation "of I said longitudinal movement of the shuttle-bythe said one en-d o'f the 'lever, and by the :picker stickenables sai'd meohanism to exert l a pressure on the bin'der'whi'ch is 1 'posite end of the lever be'ing -engageable directly by the picker --stick to dispose the first specified end of the lever in the path of a shuttle in the shuttle box, the 1 distance between the :p-iekerstiek and the first-specified end of the Iever 'being such that the shuttle-can have limited'longitudinalmovement toward'and away "from the picker stick when the first-specified end :of the lever- 1s disposed in the path of the shuttle,springmeans carried by oneof said cooperating members and engaging 'theother of them to dispose the firstspecified end of the lever in the path or the shuttle, and to dispose the opposite end of the lever against the side ofthe picker'stick, and means for mounting said side Wall removabl-y on the box, to replace the conventional side wall, and to enable the side wall claimed to *placed as a unit, carrying the leve'r and the spring means. i

p ALFRED MARSH ALLSIKES. 

